Marijuana: The Path To Legalization In Washington State

Washington became one of the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2012. But there are a lot of challenges ahead: the state must set up a licensing system for marijuana growers and sellers, the federal government may mount a challenge, the need to set a new limit on amount of marijuana in the bloodstream for safe driving. And medical marijuana is still in the picture.

Over the next several months we will be exploring the issue and tracking the impact of I-502.

This is Washington state’s final weekend without recreational pot stores. On Monday, the Evergreen State joins Colorado in issuing business licenses to qualifying retailers. It's expected about 20 licenses will be issued including one to a shop in Sodo called Cannabis City.

News From Canada

3:20 pm

Wed July 2, 2014

Marcie Sillman talks to Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer about British Columbia's concerns over our budding pot business. Also, just in time to celebrate Canada Day, Rob Ford comes back from rehab and marches in a parade, only to be heckled by a shirtless jogger. And do you have stereotypes about Canadians? The Ottawa Citizen tried to find out what Canadian cliches work and what were just plain wrong.

Eric Cooper has a sort of "The Dude" vibe: Hawaiian shirt, leather brown sandals and a bushy silver goatee. He smoked weed for the first time when he was about 14. He’s a former contractor and registered nurse. Cooper grew medical marijuana, and now he’s one of the owners of Monkey Grass Farms in Wenatchee, Washington.

David Hyde talks with Seattle attorney Hilary Bricken about a lawsuit against the city of Wenatchee, which has banned marijuana businesses. Bricken's client, Shaun Preder, is suing to open a marijuana retail store.

Minnesota has become the 22nd state to loosen restrictions on use of marijuana, with its legislature approving the sale and use of medical marijuana on May 15. Other states, including Florida, are considering similar measures.

These changes are happening fast, and we were wondering how people feel about this seemingly inexorable push to decriminalize pot, so we asked, in the latest NPR-Truven Health Analytics Health Poll.

A power luncheon for women in the marijuana business took place Friday in one of Seattle’s highest locations – the top of the Columbia Tower, where dozens of women in the cannabis business gathered to talk shop and exchange recipes.

Ross Reynolds speaks with Steve DeAngelo, executive director of Harborside Health Services, a medical marijuana dispensary in California, about what it's like to run a $30 million business mostly on cash.

Samiches

1:59 pm

Wed May 14, 2014

Food trucks have been steadily multiplying in cities across the country for a few years now. So their collision with the brave new world of marijuana edibles — from brownies to gummy candy — was probably inevitable, at least in the states where the drug is now legal.

Scott Johnson is one of those natural born salesmen. He used to own a restaurant on the 15th floor of the Bellingham Towers -- Bellingham’s tallest building.

“At first it was called ‘Top of the Towers’ and then after about five years I changed it to ‘City View Grill,’” he says.

Now Johnson comes to Bellingham Towers to see his lawyer -- whose office is also here. Johnson has been sentenced to five years behind bars for his role in a long-running marijuana production and distribution ring.